Williamstown's Ruiz skips prom for track meet

<p>The Rowan Open is not just the final relay meet of the high school girls track season. It’s also a meet that features some unique individual events that give runners the opportunity to get a taste of something different.</p>

<p>Williamstown High School’s Maria Ruiz decided to skip her school’s prom to run the 2000-meter steeplechase on Friday, the Open’s first night of competition. She finished in a winning time of 7:19.13, just 1.14 seconds faster than Millville’s Lindsay Bertulis.</p>

<p> &ldquo;I wanted to do something different,&rdquo; said Ruiz. &ldquo;I figured it was something fun to do instead of prom, and I knew I liked the steeplechase. I knew I wanted to do well and medal. I didn’t think I’d come in first, though.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The Woodbury Relays feature a steeplechase as well, but Rowan offers the water pits that welcome each runner after they jump a hurdle. Ruiz opted out of the race at the Woodbury Relays.</p>

<p> &ldquo;That’s what I was looking forward to the most in that meet,&rdquo; said Ruiz of the Open. &ldquo;I was looking to splash around in the water a little bit. It makes it more fun.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Ruiz also won the 1500 with a time of 4:42.67. Delsea’s Felicia O’Donnell was fourth in 4:50.33. Ruiz is looking forward to the Gloucester County Championships on Wednesday, but a county title isn’t as important to her as gearing up for Group IV sectionals.</p>

<p> &ldquo;I really want to just do my best, and at this point in the season it’s not my place as much as my time,&rdquo; Ruiz said. &ldquo;I’m treating the county meet as important as sectionals. It’s good competition pushing me to get a good time.&rdquo;</p>

<p>As one of the few senior Braves on this year’s squad, Ruiz isn’t just looking out for herself. She’s been doing some minor coaching for the Williamstown underclassmen.</p>

<p> &ldquo;We have two sophomore twins and they keep getting better,&rdquo; Ruiz said of Brianna and Alexus Streater. &ldquo;They stick with me. We run together in practice, and some meets I run with them to pace them. I think they’ll be very successful in the future.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Another local athlete that has already proven herself is Our Lady of Mercy Academy’s Victoria Imbesi. After breaking a meet record in the javelin at the Woodbury Relays, she nearly broke her own Rowan Open record of 132-0 with a throw of 129-7.</p>

<p>And if that wasn’t enough, Imbesi also took Open titles in the shot put and discus. Teammate Genevieve Rybicki was second in the discus and third in the shot put.</p>

<p> &ldquo;I’m definitely right around my goal right now,&rdquo; Imbesi said after throwing her meet-record 146-7 at Woodbury. &ldquo;I want to throw 155 by the end of the year and I think I’m ready to go for that.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Other local winners were OLMA’s Tacquaya Tobias with a jump of 17-5 3/4 in the long jump and the Clearview intermediate hurdles team of Tina Oldt, Brittany Biagi and Cassie Lenkowski with a time of 3:20.78. The Pioneers were also second in the shuttle hurdles.</p>